On the heels of an information meeting last month with volunteer firefighters in Greater Sudbury, representatives with the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) will again meet with the firefighters to discuss unionization.
The meeting is taking place Dec. 10 at an undisclosed location and time because the meeting is only for volunteers. The CLAC last met with volunteer firefighters Nov. 12 to receive information about unionizing.
The Ontario Labour Relations Act stipulates that at least 40 percent of the volunteers must indicate their support for the union by signing a confidential membership application card. If the CLAC acquires sufficient support, the labour board will conduct a secret ballot vote to determine if the volunteers wish to unionize.
There are approximately 350 volunteers firefighters from 20 stations in Greater Sudbury that provide fire suppression and emergency response services. Volunteers in at least eight other municipalities in Ontario are already unionized.
According to Ian DeWaard, a regional director for the CLAC, there is a significant number of volunteers that have already signed cards in support of unionization. DeWaard said in press release he's optimistic a vote would occur before Christmas.
"It's kind of an oxymoron. It has very little to do with wages, and these guys aren't typically in it for the money," DeWaard told Northern Life in an interview last month.
"(Because they're volunteers), they typically fall to the bottom of the priority list when it comes to getting things they need done. By negotiating with the city in a unionized form...they suddenly become equal players at the table and are then able to advance their interests and their concerns in a structured form," he said.
For more information, visit www.clac.ca.
